How to Transition from Reactive to Preventive Maintenance in Manufacturing
Reactive maintenance may seem convenient in the short term, but it's a costly and risky approach for any manufacturing operation. When equipment fails unexpectedly, it disrupts production, increases repair costs, and can jeopardise worker safety. According to a 2021 report, unplanned downtime costs manufacturers an average of $260,000 per hour.
To reduce these risks and create long-term efficiencies, many manufacturers are turning to preventive maintenance.
What Is Preventive Maintenance?
Preventive maintenance (PM) involves scheduled inspections and servicing of assets based on time intervals or usage. The goal is to avoid unexpected failures, extend equipment life, and maintain consistent production. According to Infraspeak, 88% of manufacturing companies already implement preventive strategies, and 52% still rely partially on reactive approaches.
The Maintenance Maturity Curve
Most companies aim to evolve from reactive to preventive maintenance before exploring predictive solutions.
Steps to Transition to Preventive Maintenance
Tools That Support Preventive Maintenance
The ROI of Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance isn’t just best practice—it’s a smart financial decision:
- It reduces operational costs by 12–18% (Brightly Software)
- Delivers up to 400% return on investment (Brightly Software)
- Improves overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) to world-class levels of 85–99% (Infraspeak)
These statistics demonstrate why preventive maintenance is rapidly becoming the standard across industries.
Why Makula Stands Out for Preventive Maintenance
Makula offers a dual-strength platform that supports both internal maintenance teams and OEM-led service delivery.
- For manufacturers, Makula acts as an intuitive CMMS to manage asset hierarchies, assign tasks, and schedule recurring inspections.
- For OEMs, the Asset Hub empowers remote monitoring, QR-based asset access, and preventive workflows managed via the Customer Portal.
This combination allows Makula to connect teams across the asset lifecycle—from the shop floor to field support.
